The Simplest Day
by Nonnie
Summary: (CSI: Miami) Sometimes, what starts out as a simple day can change your life dramatically. Please R&R, let me know how I'm doing on this! COMPLETE!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer - I don't own any of these characters, including Tim Speedle, but hey a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
Pairings - Since I personally can't picture Speed with any of the women on the show, I had to create one just for him.  
  
Rating - PG for now, there's a little boy involved.  
  
Summary - Sometimes, what starts out as a simple day can change your life dramatically.  
  
Tim Speedle stood next to Jennifer Hagen, folding the laundry they'd just taken out of a dryer at Deaton's Laundromat. The washer in their apartment had busted two weeks earlier, and Tim and Jennifer hadn't found time to have it repaired.  
  
Tim watched her folding the laundry and was amazed how beautiful Jennifer could look, performing the simplest of tasks. Her honey brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she was wearing her favorite baby blue Juicy Couture velour outfit. The hooded jacket was unzipped just enough to reveal a white tank top that was driving Tim insane. When Jennifer looked up and caught Tim grinning at her, she threw a towel at him.  
  
"One of us has to take the day off and get that washing machine repaired, Tim," she said.  
  
"You don't enjoy coming to the Laundromat?" he quipped.  
  
"I can think of a thousand other things I'd rather be doing today."  
  
"Such as?"  
  
Jennifer cocked her head to one side and smirked as the plucked a sexy black nightgown from the laundry basket and held it up to her. "Does this give you any ideas, Detective?" she said suggestively.  
  
Tim laughed and pulled his cell phone out of his jeans pocket. "I'm going to go borrow a phone book and call a repairman."  
  
"You do that," she said sarcastically, throwing the nightie back into the basket and turning to the pile of laundry waiting to be folded.  
  
Tim crossed the large room and asked the laundry attendant for a phone book. He flipped the bulky volume open to the yellow pages and began scanning for repairmen. As he dialed, he heard a loud popping sound. Curious, he looked up and saw an older model yellow Cadillac barreling down the street, which dead-ended right in front of the Laundromat. He glanced over at Jennifer, who was already pulling out her cell phone. The car was running out of street and clearly gaining speed.  
  
Tim dropped his cell phone and began screaming, "Everybody get away from the window! Now!"  
  
He turned again toward Jennifer. She grabbed a little boy who'd been running around the store all morning and dove left, just as the car smashed through the plate glass window. Glass, chairs, laundry, plastic hampers, detergent and fabric softener were sent airborne as the car plowed through the rows of washing machines into the industrial size dryers at the back of the store.  
  
Tim surveyed the damage around him as he stood up. It looked like a war zone. He heard the crackling of electrical cords that had been ripped from the walls. Smoke filled his lungs and he began to cough. He heard the groans of the store's injured patrons as he turned to the laundry attendant, who was staring open mouthed at the damage. He reached for the phone and dialed 911. "This is Tim Speedle with CSI," he said, the calm in his voice belying his heart pounding in his chest as he visually searched the room for Jennifer. "I'm at Deaton's laundry at the corner of Desert and Palm. A car just smashed through the window and we have multiple injuries. We need fire and rescue now."  
  
TBC. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer - I don't own any of these characters, including Tim Speedle, but hey a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
Pairings - Since I personally can't picture Speed with any of the women on the show, I had to create one just for him.  
  
Rating - PG for now, there's a little boy involved.  
  
Summary - Sometimes, what starts out as a simple day can change your life dramatically. Please R&R - let me know how I'm doing with this!  
  
"Jennifer!" He called out, his voice cracking. "Jennifer!"  
  
"I'm right here, Tim, stop screaming," she said calmly as she lifted the young boy off the ground. Tim crawled over a displaced washing machine and looked her over from head to toe. She had a large gash on her forehead and seemed to be favoring her left arm. Her face and clothes were covered with soot and a fine white powder he assumed was detergent.  
  
"Does anything hurt, sweetie?" she asked the boy, pushing his hair away from his face to check for lacerations. He shook his head no. "Okay, can you stay right here for me? This nice man and I are going to go find your Mommy. What's her name?"  
  
"Maria," he answered quietly.  
  
Tim grabbed a sock from a pile of laundry that was now on the floor and pressed it to Jennifer's forehead. "You need to keep this on that cut, Jen."  
  
"Yeah," she said, her hand covering his. In the distance, they could hear the sound of sirens. "Calvary's on its way," Jennifer said. "I'll look around for the mother, you check on the driver."  
  
Tim nodded and turned away from her, heading to the car. He could see out of the corner of his eye Jennifer stopping at each person she found, some standing, some still lying on the ground. She assured each that help was on the way.  
  
Four uniformed officers arrived on the scene first and Jennifer began immediately giving out orders. "Sam, Mike, start getting everyone's who is not injured out of here and start taking statements. Julie, Gus, I need some help figuring out who is who in here and what their injuries are."  
  
"Yes, Ma'am," they all replied, respecting that Jennifer, as a detective, was currently the ranking officer at the scene.  
  
"What have you got, Tim?" she said quietly, crossing over to where Tim stood examining the driver.  
  
"This guy's dead. I've got what looks like an entrance wound here at the left temple. That may explain the bang we heard."  
  
"Shouldn't he have let off the gas after he was shot?"  
  
"I don't know. We'll figure it out, though. How's your arm?"  
  
"It hurts."  
  
"You're going to have it looked at when the paramedics get here." It wasn't a question, but Jennifer rolled her eyes and answered anyway.  
  
"Eventually. I'm fine compared to some of these people."  
  
"Have you found Maria yet?"  
  
Jennifer glanced over at the little boy, who was still sitting on top of the table Jennifer had set him on. She leaned in close to Tim's ear. "There's a young woman over there," pointing discreetly to an area that had been in the car's path. "She has similar facial features to our little boy. Looks like she was run over. I checked for a pulse, but didn't find one."  
  
"Man," Speed took a deep breath. "You gonna get him out of here?"  
  
She nodded. "Paramedics just arrived. I'm going to take him outside and let them look him over."  
  
"Get that cut butterflied while you're out there."  
  
She said nothing in reply and crossed to where the little boy was sitting. "Hey, sweetie. My name's Jennifer, what's your name?"  
  
"Ben," he said meekly as he began to cry.  
  
"Ben, some friends of mine are outside. They're paramedics. Do you what that is?" The little boy shook his head no. "Paramedics take care of people when they are sick or hurt. They drive a cool truck and have lots of tools." The boy's eyes brightened and she continued, "Would you like to see their truck?" He nodded yes. She picked him up gingerly and began carrying him out of the Laundromat toward the ambulances.  
  
"Speed?"  
  
Tim had been so caught up watching Jennifer with the little boy, he failed to notice his boss Horatio had joined them at the scene. He snapped his head sharply to his right and said, "Hey, H. I didn't see you there."  
  
"She okay?" Horatio nodded in Jennifer's direction.  
  
"Laceration to the forehead and an injured left arm."  
  
"Mmm. You?"  
  
Tim shrugged. "I'm fine. I was over there when it happened." He motioned to the far left side of the room, near the attendant station.  
  
"How many bodies so far?"  
  
"Three, including the driver. We think that this woman," he directed Horatio over to where the woman they believed was Maria lay, "may be little Ben's mother."  
  
"And the third body?"  
  
The two men made their way back to the Cadillac, and Tim pointed at an arm visible from underneath the wreckage. "I felt for a pulse, didn't come up with one."  
  
"Serious injuries?"  
  
"Jen said there's four. Several broken bones, head contusions, lacerations, and you can see the paramedics working on that guy." Speed nodded in the direction of a young man trapped between several rows of industrial washing machines. "Other injuries were minor."  
  
"Okay, what happened, Speed?"  
  
"Well," he began, but was cut off.  
  
"Christ!" the CSI's turned their attention to the man standing near what remained of the plate glass window. "Was Jennifer here with you?"  
  
Tim ignored the feelings bubbling up in him and answered calmly. "Yeah, John, she's out at the ambulances with a little boy."  
  
"Is she hurt?" Hagen demanded.  
  
"She's got a cut on her head and she hurt her arm. Other than that, she's fine. And John," he added with very little tact, "don't upset the kid."  
  
John looked disgusted and waved Tim off as he turned and began checking ambulances for his sister.  
  
Tim and Horatio gave each other a knowing glance and Speed continued, "I was making a call when I heard what could possibly have been a gunshot. The sound came from that direction," he said, pointing up the street. "I looked up, saw the car coming down the road at a high rate of speed, yelled at everyone to get away from the window, the car smashed into the building, and stopped right there," he pointed to the wall of dryers.  
  
"Gunshot?"  
  
"Jennifer sent two of the uniforms up the street already."  
  
"Okay, the team is on the way, Speed. In the meantime, I'm going to go grab a kit." Horatio patted Speed on the shoulder and made his way out to the street.  
  
TBC. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer - I don't own any of these characters, including Tim Speedle, but hey a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
Pairings - Since I personally can't picture Speed with any of the women on the show, I had to create one just for him. A mention of Hagen/Calleigh here, but I promise it's not what you think.  
  
Rating - PG for now, there's a little boy involved.  
  
Summary - Sometimes, what starts out as a simple day can change your life dramatically.  
  
"Jenny?"  
  
Jennifer recognized his brother's voice and raised her head in his direction. "John." She turned her attention back to Ben. "Hey Ben, this is my brother John. He's a policeman too. Show him your badge, John."  
  
John rolled his eyes and pulled his badge from his hip, handing it to the boy. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"  
  
"Ben, I'll be right back, okay?" She handed the little boy a juice box she'd purchased from the convenience store across the street and joined her brother a few yards away.  
  
"Why wasn't I called?" he demanded.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"My sister is injured, I'm supposed to be called. Thank God I was down in dispatch when Tim placed the 911 call or I may never have known."  
  
Jennifer snapped at him, "Look around John, I've been a little busy."  
  
"Why isn't Tim here with you? He's inside playing scientist and you're out here bleeding." His words were accusatory, and Jennifer was genuinely insulted.  
  
"Tim doesn't feel the need to hover over me the way you hover over Calleigh," she shot back.  
  
John's tone turned nasty, "What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Tim understands that I am a twenty-nine year old police detective who is just as tough as he is. He knows that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."  
  
"And I don't?"  
  
"Clearly not, or you wouldn't be here, John." The elder detective had several inches on her, but she stared him down anyway. "Are you even on this case, Detective?"  
  
John clenched his jaw and looked down at the street. She took that as a no. "You're contaminating the crime scene and I'm sure you have other cases requiring your overbearing attention."  
  
She sauntered back to where Ben sat, taking the badge from him and playfully tapping him one the nose. She crossed over to John and slapped it into his hand. Without another word, she strode back to the ambulance and began talking to Ben.  
  
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"I swear, man, how many times have you nearly been killed in the past year and a half?" Eric said quietly as he hoisted his camera up to take pictures of the Cadillac.  
  
"Four," Tim answered honestly as he stood from collecting evidence. "Dispo- day, the club fire, the barn explosion and today."  
  
"Who knew doing laundry could turn out to be deadly?" Calleigh questioned. She bent down to photograph a cell phone lying in a puddle of water and detergent. She recognized it as Jennifer's. "Jen's going to need a new cell phone, Tim."  
  
"I think mine shattered into a million pieces when I dropped it," Tim replied glumly.  
  
"I think you're jinxed," Eric said thoughtfully, "four times in eighteen months. That averages to be once every four and a half months," he said, doing the math in his head.  
  
"You were with me for two of those, smart ass."  
  
"And in four and a half months from now, I'm avoiding you like the plague," Eric joked.  
  
"It'll be the happiest few days of my life, I'm sure," Speed shot back.  
  
"All right, boys, we have work to do," Calleigh reminded them. "Hey, Alexx," she said, crossing to where the Medical Examiner knelt, zipping Ben's mother into a body bag.  
  
"Did Jennifer get a last name out of Ben?" Alexx asked gently.  
  
"No, but one of the EMT's recognized her. Maria Korte. She's an emergency room nurse at Park Medical."  
  
"Poor baby," Alexx sighed. "That little guy can't be more than four years old."  
  
"It gets worse. Ben's dad is in the military, stationed in Iraq."  
  
Alexx rocked back on her heels, "Oh God, what about grandparents?"  
  
"I don't know; the EMT, Jack, said Maria never mentioned any family." Calleigh nodded toward the window. "He looks pretty content with Jennifer right now." Jennifer now stood at the edge of Horatio's Hummer, pretending to listen to Ben's heartbeat with a stethoscope. The little blonde laughed as Jennifer made a funny face.  
  
"It's good to know one of the Hagens were born with people skills."  
  
Calleigh flashed her dear friend a huge grin, "Ain't that the truth!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Hey, Cal?" Calleigh turned to see Speed standing behind her. He continued, "since this is technically my day off and I outrank you guys, I'm going to the hospital with Jennifer to have that cut sewn up and her arm looked at."  
  
"Who's taking care of Ben?"  
  
Speed shrugged. "I guess he's going with us."  
  
"Okay," she nodded. "I'll let Social Services know when they get here. Call me later and tell me what the doctors say."  
  
"You gotta it."  
  
"Speed, you're going to need a seat for the little one," Alexx said, tossing him her keys. "I was on my way back to the office when we got the call, so I brought my own car. Grab Bryan's booster seat out of the back before you go."  
  
"Thanks, Alexx. I'll bring it by the office later."  
  
"No hurry," she said looking around, "I'm going to be there for a while."  
  
Speed turned and headed out of the Laundromat. Ben was laughing hysterically at the faces Jennifer was making as he tried to listen to her heart. "Ooh, that's cold!" she shrieked. Ben cackled his response.  
  
Tim smiled as he walked up to them. "Hey sport," he said to Ben, "I'm going to take Jennifer here up to the hospital so the doctor can fix her head and her arm. Do you want to go with us?"  
  
Ben nodded and said excitedly, "That's where my mommy works."  
  
Tim and Jennifer exchanged worried glances. "I know, Ben, but did you know that there are four hospitals?" Jennifer stuck up four fingers. "The one your Mommy works at is waaayyy across town. The one we are going to is right down the street. And when we're done, you can go with Tim and I to the police station where we work, okay?"  
  
"Yeah!" Ben stood on the Hummer's tailgate.  
  
"Yeah!" Tim and Jennifer said in unison. Tim picked Ben up off the tailgate and carried him over to Jennifer's Grand Cherokee.  
  
TBC. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer - I don't own any of these characters, including Tim Speedle, but hey a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
Pairings - Since I personally can't picture Speed with any of the women on the show, I had to create one just for him.  
  
Rating - PG for now, there's a little boy involved.  
  
Summary - Sometimes, what starts out as a simple day can change your life dramatically. This chapter isn't terribly interesting, but it starts wrapping some stuff up.  
  
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"Alexx." Horatio said smoothly as he entered the examination room where Alexx was bent over the body of the Cadillac driver. "What do we have?"  
  
"Single gunshot wound to the left temple. Calleigh thinks it's a 9MM. She just took the bullet to ballistics. Had traces of cocaine in his system, multiple post-mortem contusions and injuries from the crash. No ID yet, Eric is running his prints through AFIS."  
  
"What about the mother? Speed and Jennifer still have the son with them."  
  
"Maria Korte was run over, but not by the car. She was crushed by one of the washing machines. Those things weigh half a ton - broke ribs on either side, punctured her lungs. Must have been pushed away when it impacted the car."  
  
"Third victim?"  
  
"Wallet says he's Nathaniel Benson, age 75. He was right in the path of the car and I couldn't figure out why he didn't get out of the way until Eric found this." She handed a small plastic device to Horatio.  
  
"Hearing aid."  
  
Alexx nodded. "How much you want to bet the battery in that thing is dead?" She looked down at Benson's crushed form. "Poor thing, you never heard what was coming, did you?"  
  
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"Hey, Eric." Calleigh said sweetly as she entered one of the labs. "Got an ID yet?"  
  
"Yep." He looked up from the table and grinned at her.  
  
"Well." she paused for a moment to let him continue, but he only grinned. "Eric?"  
  
"Yes, Calleigh."  
  
"Who is the driver, smart ass?"  
  
"What's in it for me?" he teased.  
  
She rolled her eyes and punched him on the shoulder, "Shut up."  
  
Eric mouthed an "Ow," and rubbed his shoulder. Feigning defeat, he handed Calleigh the file, "Julio Rodriquez, age 24. Rap sheet a mile long -gun- running, drugs, assault, B&E, you name it, he's apparently done it."  
  
She flipped through the pages slowly, "Gangs or just an all-around bad seed?"  
  
"Gangs. Julio was a well-known messenger boy."  
  
"Messenger boy? That's interesting. I wonder what he was delivering when he was shot?"  
  
Eric shrugged. "Interviews turn up anything?"  
  
"We found three people who thought they could definitely ID the guy who shot Julio, but none of them could give us a name."  
  
"We have a description?" He said curiously.  
  
"Latino male, approximately 25 years of age, standing 5'8", last seen wearing a Dolphins ball cap, yellow windbreaker and jeans."  
  
"Boy that gives a lot to go on."  
  
"Well, then, we better get busy."  
  
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"Miss Hagen?" the ER nurse said quietly, trying not to disturb Ben, who was curled up in Tim's lap asleep. "I think you're ready to go. I just need you to sign these forms."  
  
Jennifer scribbled her signature three times and hopped off the bed.  
  
"You've got a prescription for pain medicine if you need it, keep the arm in the sling for the next week, and change the bandage on your forehead as needed, and make sure you call your doctor for a follow-up visit."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Tim stood awkwardly, picking dead weight up with him as he tried not to wake Ben. "Ready?"  
  
"Ready," she smiled at him holding Ben and said thoughtfully, "You look good with one of those, Mr. Speedle."  
  
"Thanks, it's definitely the fashion statement that I was going for," he said sarcastically.  
  
She laughed and pulled the door to the ER lobby open, holding it for Tim with her good arm. As they reached the Cherokee, Tim dug car keys out of his pocket and gently placed Ben in the car seat. "He's out cold," Tim said as he buckled the seat belt around the little boy.  
  
"He's had quite a day."  
  
Tim opened the driver's side door and climbed in. "So have we." He stuck the keys in the ignition and turned the engine over. "I'm glad you're okay."  
  
"Me too." She leaned across the console and kissed him softly.  
  
Tim sighed and touched his forehead to hers. "I've never been that terrified in my life, Jen."  
  
She pulled away and slumped in her seat. "I know."  
  
"When I think about what could have happened.it could have been you."  
  
"But, it wasn't, Tim." She reached her good hand across the console and squeezed his. "It wasn't."  
  
"Yeah." Jennifer could see Tim clenching his jaw as he replied.  
  
"Let's get back, find out what the guys know, okay?"  
  
He didn't answer, but put the SUV into gear and pulled out of the parking lot.  
  
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Calleigh's cell phone rang at her hip. "Dusquene," she answered quickly.  
  
"Calleigh, Tripp. Patrol just spotted a kid three blocks over who matches our description."  
  
"We'll be right there, Frank."  
  
Calleigh disconnected and looked up at Eric. "We may have just gotten a big break," she said, relaying the information Frank had given her.  
  
Eric nodded as they made their way to the Hummer. Three blocks over, they spotted the patrol cars and Frank's unmarked car at a convenience store. One of the patrol officers was patting the young man down. "Gun," the patrol officer said, pulling a pistol out of the back waistband of the suspect's pants. He handed the gun to Calleigh.  
  
"9MM," she said to Frank, who nodded a reply.  
  
"Read him his rights." Frank said smoothly, turning to Calleigh. "How long before we have a match?"  
  
The officer began Mirandizing the suspect while Calleigh loaded the gun into an evidence bag. She smiled at Frank and said sweetly, "About an hour. You think you can entertain our guest until then?"  
  
"I can think of lots of ways to entertain him," Frank said slyly, as he returned Calleigh's grin.  
  
TBC. 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer - I don't own any of these characters, including Tim Speedle, but hey a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
Pairings - Since I personally can't picture Speed with any of the women on the show, I had to create one just for him.  
  
Rating - PG for now, there's a little boy involved.  
  
Summary - Sometimes, what starts out as a simple day can change your life dramatically. Fair warning, if you've lost a parent or a spouse, this chapter sucks. My four-year-old nephew Nicholas has been the model for Ben. I've been watching the way Nicky Nick does things and says things. He's hysterical!  
  
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"Jennifer?" the receptionist, Janice, caught Jennifer's attention as she and Tim stepped off the elevator with Ben, who had woken up when they'd arrived at headquarters. "You've had several phone calls today, all from a Major David Korte. He said he'd call back in an hour, and that was forty- five minutes ago."  
  
"That's my daddy," Ben said proudly to Janice. "He's a Mawine." Tim and Jennifer chuckled quietly as Ben struggled with the word Marine.  
  
"Thanks, Janice, we'll be in the Trace lab when he calls." Tim grabbed their messages and took Ben's hand again.  
  
Exactly fifteen minutes later, the phone rang in the trace lab. Tim picked it up on the second ring. "Speedle," he said, glancing up at Jennifer, "Yeah, she's right here." He handed the phone to Jennifer, who motioned for Tim to take Ben out of the lab.  
  
"Major Korte, my name is Jennifer Hagen, I'm a detective with the Miami- Dade County Police Department; please let me extend my deepest sympathies for your wife's passing."  
  
"Thank you, Detective, how's my son?"  
  
"He's fine, Major," she smiled as she thought of Ben, "He's a wonderful little boy."  
  
"Does he know about his mother yet?"  
  
"No, sir, he doesn't. We thought that might be best coming from you."  
  
"Thank you for your discretion, Detective, it is greatly appreciated." He paused for a moment as he collected his thoughts, "I'm sure you are wondering why I am calling you."  
  
Jennifer didn't answer, so the Major continued. "I assume Social Services has already been in contact with you about taking Ben off your hands."  
  
"They have," she answered quietly.  
  
"I don't want my child in foster care, Detective."  
  
Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief. "I understand your concern, Major."  
  
"Detective," he paused again, "Maria and I were both raised in foster care. We have no family, only each other. We have friends in the Corps, but." he stopped abruptly.  
  
Silence followed and Jennifer wondered if they'd lost their connection.  
  
"Major?"  
  
"Detective, I would greatly appreciate if you would care for Ben until I can return home."  
  
Jennifer struggled to keep the phone in her right hand as her heart began to race, "With all due respect, sir, I."  
  
The Major cut her off. "Detective, you have shown a great deal of concern and care for my son today." His voice broke as he choked out the last words, "You saved his life."  
  
"Major, again, with all due respect, anyone in my position would have done the same thing."  
  
He sighed deeply. "Detective Hagen, I have seen the ugly side of humankind my entire life. Let me assure you, someone else in your position may not have done the same thing."  
  
"Major, I could be ax-murderer for all you know about me."  
  
She heard papers rustling and the Major began to speak again, "Jennifer Michelle Hagen, age 29, born in Okinawa, Japan to Colonel and Mrs. Michael Hagen, also in the Corps. You have a brother named John, five years your senior. Family remained in the Corps until 1984, when the Colonel retired to Miami."  
  
Jennifer was shocked into silence as the Major continued with her life's story.  
  
"You graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in psychology, at which time; you joined the MDPD as a patrol officer. At the age of 27 you were promoted to detective in the vice department. Eight months ago, you were promoted to homicide, at which time you reconciled with one Tim Speedle, a CSI detective also employed with MDPD. You've received four letters of commendation from your superior officers for bravery outside the call of duty in your seven years of service."  
  
"How could you possibly know all of that?"  
  
"I may be on the other side of the world, Ma'am, but I have access to more information than you can possibly fathom," he said seriously.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I've already spoken with Ben's caseworker at Social Services. She has emailed me the forms necessary to appoint you and Mr. Speedle as legal guardians of Ben until such time that I can return to the States."  
  
Jennifer was stunned. "I'm going to need some time to discuss this with Tim."  
  
"I'd be worried if you didn't, Detective. I'll call back in one hour." He disconnected the line.  
  
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Ben sat happily on a stool next to Eric and Calleigh in the ballistics lab while Speed and Jennifer spoke in the hallway.  
  
Tim shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at Jennifer, "He wants us to what?"  
  
"Major Korte would like us to care for Ben until he can get back to the States."  
  
"You're kidding, right?"  
  
"Hardly." She frankly couldn't believe it herself.  
  
"He doesn't even know us," Speed argued.  
  
"He knows more than you think, Tim," she said, recalling the conversation she'd just had with the Major.  
  
"I don't know about this, Jen, we aren't equipped to take care of four year old."  
  
"I know, but how hard can it be?" Tim raised his eyebrows at her. "He's been through so much already, Tim. I can't just let Social Services come get him and have him in some foster home where he doesn't know anybody."  
  
Tim took a deep breath and exhaled it very slowly, contemplating the situation carefully. "Okay," he said, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets.  
  
"Really?" Jennifer bit her bottom lip, hoping Tim wouldn't change his mind.  
  
"Yeah," he replied and she leaned up and kissed him gently. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Calleigh was leaning down over the microscope, comparing her test fire from the suspect's gun to the 9mm slug Alexx had dug out of the victim. She was smiling as she listened to the conversation Eric was having with Ben.  
  
"What's this?" Ben asked, pointing to the brown envelope Calleigh had slipped one of the bullets from.  
  
Eric picked up the envelope and showed it to Ben. "This is an evidence envelope."  
  
"What's that?" Ben wrinkled his nose.  
  
"What's what?" Clearly, Eric doesn't speak four-year old, Calleigh thought to herself.  
  
"Everdunce." Eric laughed at Ben's mispronunciation.  
  
"Evidence is like little bitty pieces of information that someone leaves behind when they doing something wrong."  
  
"Like when I draw on the wall?"  
  
"Exactly. You leave your crayons behind don't you?"  
  
Ben shook his head knowingly. "Yeah."  
  
"That's evidence, my man."  
  
"When I grow up, I'm going to be a pweece-man, just like you, Ewic. Hi, Jenfer," he waved as Jennifer and Tim entered the ballistics lab.  
  
"Hi, Bennie. Whatcha doing?" she crossed the room to ruffle the young boy's white blonde hair.  
  
"Playing with Ewic. He was showing me everdunce."  
  
"He was, huh?" she said, picking Ben up with her good arm and setting him on her lap.  
  
"Well?" Tim questioned, leaning over Calleigh's shoulder.  
  
"Striations match. This is definitely the gun that killed our driver," she said quietly so that Ben wouldn't overhear.  
  
Tim nodded. "Time to go tell Tripp."  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
"Roberto, you lied to me," Frank said, leaning over the suspect.  
  
"I didn't lie to you, man."  
  
"Roberto, Roberto, the striations from the test fire on your weapon match the bullet we found in our victim, Julio Rodriquez."  
  
"And your fingerprints are the only one on the gun," Eric said.  
  
"And we've got three people from the street who can ID you as the shooter," Calleigh continued.  
  
"You really should have changed your clothes, man." Speed smirked.  
  
Roberto Sequina was tapping his foot on the floor and sweating visibly as the five detectives continued their interrogation.  
  
"Why'd you do it, Roberto?" Horatio questioned.  
  
"I didn't do nothing, man. I don't know what all this means, striations, what the hell is that?"  
  
"You understand fingerprints, Roberto. That's all we need." Horatio said calmly.  
  
"I want a lawyer."  
  
"I'll bet you do, Roberto, I'll bet you do. Speed, let's get this man a lawyer shall we?"  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
"Hi, Daddy!" Ben said brightly into the speaker box Jennifer had pointed to when she'd switched from the handset to the speakerphone.  
  
"Hey, buddy," Jennifer could hear the strain in the Major's voice as he struggled to maintain his composure for his son. "Are you being good for Miss Jennifer?"  
  
"Yes, Daddy."  
  
"That's my boy. Benjamin, I need to talk to you about something very serious. I need you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to tell you."  
  
Had the conversation not been so somber, Jennifer might have laughed as she watched Ben settle in with his arms on the table and his head squarely in his palms. He planted a very solemn look on his face and said, "I'm ready, Daddy."  
  
"Ben, your Mommy had an accident at the Laundromat."  
  
Ben cut his father off, "I know, Daddy," he said quietly. "When I fell asleep, Mommy came and told me that she couldn't come home anymore, but that Jenfer and Tim were going to take good care of me."  
  
Jennifer could hear Major Korte put the phone down and sob. Her heart went out to him, and she wiped away her own tears. When he picked up the phone a minute later, he continued, "That's exactly right, son. Miss Jennifer and Mr. Tim are going to take care of you until Daddy can get home. Is that okay with you?"  
  
"Yep, that's fine, Daddy, I like them a lot. Ewic has been teaching me about everdunce."  
  
"Evidence, huh?"  
  
"Yep, I'm gonna be a pweece-man when I grow up."  
  
"I thought you were going to join the Corps, son."  
  
"This is more fun, Daddy."  
  
The major laughed weakly. "All right, we'll talk about it when I get home, okay? I'm going to let Miss Jennifer pick up the phone now, and I'm going to talk to her for a minute. I love you very much, son."  
  
"I love you too, Daddy."  
  
Jennifer picked up the receiver. "Major," she said discreetly.  
  
"That went pretty well, don't you think?" he asked hopefully.  
  
She smiled. "I think it went very well, sir."  
  
"I can't thank you and Mr. Speedle enough for what you've already done for my son, much less what you're going to do for him over the next few days."  
  
"It's our pleasure, Major. Ben is an incredible child." She glanced over at the boy, who was coloring with some pencils Tim had given him earlier.  
  
"Thank you, Miss Hagen. I've arranged for you and Mr. Speedle to have access to the base so that you can pick up Ben's clothes, toys, anything you need. My attorney will be contacting you this evening to sign the paperwork."  
  
"When will you be home?"  
  
"In approximately one week. I will call with the details as soon as they are finalized."  
  
"Major?" she began, but hesitated. The Major seemed to read her mind.  
  
"Miss Hagen, I know you must think it strange that I would trust complete strangers over my own family. But, I feel like Maria is telling me to trust you. I'm following my gut on this one."  
  
Hey, I warned you. TBC. 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer - I don't own any of these characters, including Tim Speedle, but hey a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
Pairings - Since I personally can't picture Speed with any of the women on the show, I had to create one just for him. And I bet you thought after the last couple of chapters that I was going for an Eric/Calleigh thing, didn't ya?  
  
Rating - PG for now, there's a little boy involved.  
  
Summary - Sometimes, what starts out as a simple day can change your life dramatically.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
"Mr. Norris, we have a significant amount of evidence that clearly links your client to this homicide," Horatio took control of the room, tossing the evidence file across the table to the public defender.  
  
"Mr. Sequina is prepared to make a deal, Lieutenant."  
  
"No deals. We have Roberto dead to rights."  
  
The PD was undeterred. "Mr. Sequina is prepared to offer evidence against some of his 'colleagues' in exchange for a reduced charge."  
  
"What kind of evidence, Mr. Norris?" Tripp asked.  
  
"Mr. Sequina could give you an entire gun-running ring."  
  
Horatio grunted. "That would make Roberto a very unpopular boy, wouldn't it?"  
  
"It would, that's why we would also ask that you transfer Mr. Sequina to a prison outside the state of Florida."  
  
"Well, we'll just have to see about that, now won't we?"  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Hours later, Tim and Jennifer stood in Benjamin's bedroom at the Korte home. Ben was dictating which toys stayed and which toys were going to Tim and Jennifer's house. With one hand, Jennifer was placing some of Ben's clothes into a suitcase she'd found in his parent's bedroom.  
  
Jennifer chuckled quietly when she heard Tim say, "Ben, we CAN come back tomorrow. Not EVERYTHING has to come with us tonight." Yeah right, she thought, try telling that to a four year old.  
  
Jennifer stopped what she was doing when she heard a knock on the door. She opened the door to a well-dressed Naval officer. He took off his cap and extended his hand to Jennifer. "Miss. Hagen?"  
  
"Yes?" she said curiously.  
  
"I'm Commander Aaron Daniels, a JAG here on base, that's an attorney."  
  
She held up a hand to stop him, "My father was a Marine Colonel, Commander, I'm familiar with the term."  
  
"Yes, Ma'am, may I come in?"  
  
"Sure," she said, stepping to the side, "It's not my house."  
  
"Miss Hagen," he turned to find Tim standing in the doorway with Ben, curious expressions set on both their faces. "Mr. Speedle?" he extended his hand to Tim, "I'm Commander Aaron Daniels, an attorney on base. I have the paperwork naming you legal guardians to Ben."  
  
"How did you know we were here, Commander?" Jennifer asked.  
  
"Sheer dumb luck," the Commander admitted. "I live just down the street, and on my way home, I noticed your Jeep in the driveway. I took a chance. Shall we?" Daniels motioned to the dining room table. He crossed the room and opened his briefcase, taking out several files.  
  
"According to Major Korte's wishes, I have prepared the paperwork to appoint you and Mr. Speedle legal guardians of the minor Benjamin David Korte."  
  
"That's me," Ben said proudly as he climbed into Tim's lap.  
  
"I'm sure you must think this is odd, Commander. You do realize that we've never met the Major."  
  
"It's not my place to think anything, Miss Hagen," he smiled as he sorted through papers in a file marked "Korte." "The Major clearly trusts you, and therefore, so do I."  
  
"Okay," Jennifer nodded and began signing the documents placed before her, passing each one to Tim when she was finished.  
  
When they were finished, the Commander said his goodbyes and left quickly. Tim loaded Ben's toys and suitcase into the truck. Jennifer locked up the house and loaded Ben into the seat. "We need to go buy one of these," Tim said, "I promised Alexx I'd bring this one back to her."  
  
"Okay, we should probably get some kid friendly food anyway."  
  
"Corndogs!" Ben shouted from the backseat, "and macaroni!"  
  
"Corndogs and macaroni it is, sport," Tim said as he put the truck into gear and pulled out of the driveway.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
"I still don't understand how Julio accelerated the vehicle after he was shot," Calleigh rubbed her temples and closed her eyes.  
  
"After he was shot, he tensed up all the muscles in his body, causing his foot to press down on the accelerator," Alexx answered, then took a sip of her coffee.  
  
"Well, that's just the strangest thing I've ever heard!" Calleigh exclaimed.  
  
"Strange, but true," Horatio said from the doorway, startling both women.  
  
Calleigh offered him a gentle smile and said, "Roberto roll over on his buddies yet?"  
  
Horatio returned the smile brightly. "He's going to keep vice very busy for weeks."  
  
"Just seems a shame, you know? Guy pops Julio, inadvertently killing two other people, and he gets a slap on the wrist."  
  
"Murder 2 isn't exactly a slap on the wrist, Cal."  
  
"It's not exactly life without the possibility of parole, either, Horatio."  
  
Alexx stood and pushed her chair back to the table. "Well, guys, this has been fun, but I have two babies at home I'd like to see before they turn eighteen. Night ya'll."  
  
"Night, Alexx."  
  
Horatio crossed the room and sat down next to Calleigh on the lounge sofa. "You okay?" The harmless flirtation they'd participated in for years had taken a more serious turn in the past few months, and Horatio unconsciously stroked her arm.  
  
"I just keep thinking about Ben. He's so little, and he's already lost so much."  
  
Horatio reached up and tenderly wiped the tear that was sliding down her cheek. "That little boy has touched us all deeply, especially Speed and Jennifer. We'll all keep tabs on him, long after he's gone home with his father."  
  
"You're right," Calleigh said quietly, wiping the tears now streaming down her face with the back of her hand.  
  
"I'm always right," he joked, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.  
  
Calleigh rolled her eyes. "Oh, dear Lord, stop him now, please," she begged sarcastically, her hands folded to heaven.  
  
"Have you eaten yet? I ask because I know in all the commotion today, I haven't."  
  
"Food," Calleigh said thoughtfully. "I vaguely remember food. Let's go."  
  
TBC. 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer - I don't own any of these characters, including Tim Speedle, but hey a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
Pairings - Since I personally can't picture Speed with any of the women on the show, I had to create one just for him. Horatio & Calleigh, too.  
  
Rating - PG-13, 'cause Ben's finally asleep.  
  
Summary - Sometimes, what starts out as a simple day can change your life dramatically.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Tim shut the door to the guestroom with a sigh and walked across the living room to flop on the sofa next to Jennifer.  
  
"I've never been this tired in all my life. I made dinner, gave Ben a bath, played for an hour and a half, read three books," he said, holding three fingers up for emphasis, "and he finally fell asleep."  
  
"And you said we weren't ready for a four year old," she said, not bothering to remind him that he hadn't done everything by himself.  
  
"I said we weren't equipped for a four year old, which I think I've now proven we aren't."  
  
"You done good, babe." She leaned over and kissed him gently.  
  
She pulled away and noticed Tim's eyes were still closed. She smiled and asked, "Tim? You okay?"  
  
"Marry me."  
  
"Excuse me?" I couldn't have heard him right, she thought.  
  
He opened his eyes and turned his head to look directly into hers. "Marry me, Jennifer."  
  
Jennifer wrinkled her brow and stared at him, "Are you serious?"  
  
"Yes," he nodded.  
  
She was taken aback. "I'm not sure what to say here."  
  
"Well, yes, would be the preferred answer." He reached over and took her good hand. "Jennifer, I love you." he prepared to present his case, but there was no need.  
  
"Yes," she said quietly.  
  
He was sure he hadn't heard her right. "What?"  
  
"Yes," she answered with more confidence this time.  
  
"Yes, what?" He eyed her suspiciously.  
  
"Yes, Tim," she laughed, "I will marry you."  
  
Tim pulled her onto his lap and lifted his hand to stroke her face, bringing it down to his. He looked deeply into her jade green eyes before leaning in to kiss her. Then he grinned. "Wow, that only took seven years."  
  
She pulled away and groaned. Then she picked up one of the throw pillows from the couch and hit him with it. "How did I KNOW that was coming?"  
  
Tim scooped her up and threw her down on the couch playfully. He straddled her legs and placed an arm on either side of her. He leaned down carefully, so as not to hurt her arm, and pressed soft, wet kisses down the side of her face. His lips found the crook of her neck with his mouth, and she moaned as he found her weak spot. Jennifer ran her fingers through his hair and Tim groaned quietly. He kissed her again, deeper this time. When they'd run out of air, she whispered in his ear, "Make love to me."  
  
"What about your arm?" he breathed his reply, feeling the heat already stirring in his body.  
  
"It's not my arm I'll be using, Tim."  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Calleigh frowned and pushed her mashed potatoes around with her fork. Horatio looked up, concerned by her actions. "Not hungry?"  
  
"I'm already full," she said with a sigh, laying her fork down on the plate.  
  
"You didn't eat much," he said surveying the half-eaten chicken and vegetables.  
  
She sipped her wine and shrugged. "Guess that comes from not having eaten all day."  
  
"Maybe." Horatio took a bite of his steak.  
  
Calleigh cocked her head to one side and smiled brightly at Horatio. "Thank you for dinner," she said sweetly. "This has been a lovely distraction."  
  
"My pleasure," he said, reaching across the table to take her hand.  
  
"Horatio? Can we get out of here? I feel this insane need to go walk on the beach."  
  
"Sure," he said, signaling the waiter for the check.  
  
Minutes later, Horatio and Calleigh were in the Hummer, heading for the beach. Calleigh hopped out and crossed the parking lot to the sand, pausing to take her shoes off. Horatio stood at her side and offered his hand, "May I?" he asked quietly.  
  
Calleigh felt herself blush as she placed her hand in his. "Of course."  
  
They walked in silence along the water's edge. Calleigh paused for a moment and looked up at the moon. "Beautiful," she said.  
  
Horatio found himself caught up in watching Calleigh. "Very," he replied. Calleigh looked at him curiously and blushed when she realized he'd been watching her, not the moonlight. "Sorry." Embarrassed, he shifted his gaze from her.  
  
"Don't be sorry, Horatio," she touched his cheek and turned his face to hers. "Don't ever be sorry."  
  
He caught her hand and pressed a quick kiss to the palm. "Okay."  
  
She giggled as she placed a hand in his and continued walking. "So what do you think Tim and Jennifer are doing right now?"  
  
Horatio took a quick glance at his watch. 10:43. "Hopefully, sleeping. Tim Speedle with a four year old." He laughed.  
  
"Wouldn't you LOVE to be a fly on the wall for that one?" Calleigh's eyes danced as she smiled brightly at the thought.  
  
He smiled and tucked his head down. "I'd rather be here with you, Calleigh," he said sheepishly.  
  
She stopped again and looked up at him curiously, "Horatio?"  
  
Horatio took a deep breath and began, "Calleigh, I.."  
  
She pressed her fingers to his lips. She rose up on her tiptoes and paused to look into Horatio's eyes for a moment before touching her lips to his. Her arms circled his neck as he lowered his head to meet hers. He pulled her in to him and placed his hands demurely at her waist. Calleigh's tongue traced the outline of his mouth and he parted his lips, inviting her to enter. Horatio heard himself groan as their kiss began to deepen. His hand trailed up her back, entangling themselves in her flowing locks.  
  
Calleigh broke the kiss and backed away from him, turning her back on him as she said, "Oh my God, Horatio, I don't know what came over me!"  
  
Horatio ran a hand through his hair and weighed his options. He could tell her it was just the moonlight, or he could tell her the truth. He chose the second. Taking a step up behind her, his arms encircled her waist and he rested his head on her shoulder, "Calleigh," he said quietly, "if you've wanted to do that half as long as I have, then I know exactly what came over you."  
  
He felt her relax and she raised her hand to caress his face. "Well, I've wanted to do that for a very long time, Lieutenant."  
  
Horatio smiled and pressed a kiss to the base of her neck. She sighed contentedly. "I have a blanket in the truck. I could go get it and we could sit out here for a while."  
  
Calleigh turned his arms and laughed. "I can't think of anything I'd rather do, Horatio."  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Jennifer awoke the next morning to the sound of laughter coming from the living room. She stretched and noticed a small glint of sparkle in the corner of her eye. Raising her right hand into view, she gasped and then began to laugh quietly. On the third finger of her right hand, Tim had placed a diamond ring. She recognized it immediately and felt a small tug in her heart. It was her engagement ring, the one he'd bought two and a half years ago. Three stones set in white gold. Me, Tim and Baby Emily, she thought to herself examining the ring more closely. She loved the way the prongs holding the diamonds looped over one another, connecting each stone to the other two.  
  
Jennifer ran a finger over the prongs and let out a sigh as she thought about the baby they'd lost so long ago. Jennifer had been in a car accident, just two weeks after discovering she was pregnant. She hadn't even had time to get used to the idea before Emily was gone. Jennifer had been devastated. When Tim tried to propose a few weeks later, Jennifer had run out of the restaurant and out of his life completely.  
  
They'd reconciled eight months ago, when Jennifer had been promoted to homicide. They'd vowed not to make the same mistakes again and they hadn't. She loved him more now than ever had. Jennifer tossed the covers off her and stood, heading into the living room, where Tim and Ben were hunkered down on the couch, engrossed in Saturday morning cartoons and bowls of Cheerios, laughing hysterically as Wile E. Coyote tried desperately to capture the Road Runner.  
  
"Good morning, boys," she said brightly, crossing over to kiss them both on top of their heads before heading to the kitchen for coffee. Grabbing her mug, she walked back in to the living room, pausing in front of the couch to ask, "Room for me?"  
  
Ben scooted closer to Tim and Jennifer plopped down on the sofa, propping her feet up on the coffee table. Tim winked at her when she caught his gaze. She raised her right hand. "Wrong hand, babe."  
  
"I know which hand it goes on, " he said, dipping his spoon into the cereal. "Your other hand was swollen and I didn't want it to get stuck."  
  
Jennifer grinned and stuck the hand out in front of her, turning it the left, then to the right. "It's beautiful."  
  
"Better be," he growled. "For what it cost."  
  
Jennifer stared at him open-mouthed, not believing he was serious. He turned his head and flashed her a toothy grin. "I'm kidding. It was worth every single solitary penny."  
  
"What's beautiful?" Ben asked sweetly, crawling onto Jennifer's lap to see.  
  
"My ring," she began. "Tim and I are going to get married."  
  
"Can I come?"  
  
"Well, yeah," Tim said enthusiastically, "We'd be upset if you didn't, sport."  
  
"Cool!" Ben said, pumping his arms in the air.  
  
The phone rang and Tim reached over to answer it.  
  
"Hello," he said into the receiver, listening as the caller identified himself. "Uh, yeah, hold on a minute." Tim set his bowl on the table and stood from the couch, crossing to the bedroom and shutting the door behind him, leaving Ben and Jennifer on the couch with curious expressions set on their faces.  
  
"Commander?"  
  
"Mr. Speedle, this isn't news I would normally deliver over the phone, but." Commander Daniels paused as he considered what to say next.  
  
"What is it?" Whatever Commander Daniels had to say, the news wasn't going to be good, and Tim could feel his heart begin to race.  
  
"Major Korte." he took a deep breath and then continued, "is dead, Mr. Speedle."  
  
Tim collapsed onto the bed as Jennifer opened the door and stepped inside.  
  
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"  
  
"He's dead, Mr. Speedle. The Major was with his unit last night, doing a routine patrol when they were ambushed. No one in the patrol group survived. We lost eight men from this base."  
  
Ben knocked lightly on the door and stuck his head in. Jennifer turned to him and said, "We'll be right back, baby. Will you go finish your cereal for me?"  
  
"Okay," he said quietly, shutting the door. Jennifer knelt down next to Tim. She reached up and wiped a tear from Tim's cheek.  
  
"What does this mean for Ben, Commander?" Tim asked.  
  
It was then Jennifer realized what must have happened, and she rocked back on her heels, pressing her hand to her mouth to stifle a cry.  
  
"Legally, you and Miss Hagen are now Ben's guardians. But what happens from here is entirely up to the two of you."  
  
"What does that mean, exactly?"  
  
"It means that you have the right to turn Ben over to Social Services if you want. You signed on for a week, Mr. Speedle, not Ben's entire life."  
  
Tim let out a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Christ," he said. "I need to talk to Jennifer about this, Commander."  
  
"Certainly. I'd like to come over in a little while, check on Ben, if that would be okay with the two of you."  
  
"Yeah, that's, uh, fine. Just give us a few hours."  
  
Tim disconnected and stared at the phone. Then he dropped it, like it had been burning his hand. He grabbed Jennifer and pulled her to him, sobbing into her shoulder. "There was an ambush," he began slowly, "the Major," he said, choking out the words, "there were no survivors."  
  
"Oh God," she began weeping. "This cannot be happening."  
  
"What do we do, Jen?" he cried, "WHAT do we do?"  
  
TBC.I've got to go wipe my own tears. 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer - I don't own any of these characters, including Tim Speedle, but hey a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
Pairings - Since I personally can't picture Speed with any of the women on the show, I had to create one just for him.  
  
Rating - PG-13, for earlier chapters.  
  
Summary - Sometimes, what starts out as a simple day can change your life dramatically. I never intended for Ben's dad to die, the story just kind of wound it's way here all by itself. I didn't think four-year-olds could truly understand death until my nephew asked me the other day if PawPaw (my dad) could see him from heaven.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Ben knocked again and pushed the door open. "What's wrong?" he said, his eyes wide with fear.  
  
Jennifer turned her face away from him and wiped her tears quickly. Tim stared at the ceiling, unable to speak.  
  
She walked over to Ben and scooped him up, sitting down on the bed next to Tim. "Um, Ben, Tim and I have something we need to tell you, sweetheart."  
  
"You're not getting married?"  
  
She almost laughed, "No baby, we are definitely getting married. This is something else. Something very serious."  
  
Tim stood and walked over to the bedroom window, crossing his arms over his chest and rested his head on the glass.  
  
"Last night," she started slowly, taking a deep breath to stop the sobs threatening to overtake her, "your daddy had an accident."  
  
"Like my mommy?" he asked, playing with the ring on Jennifer's finger.  
  
"Sort of," she nodded. "Do you remember when we talked yesterday about your Mommy going to heaven?"  
  
"Yes," he said quietly.  
  
"And you remember I told you that even though you couldn't see your Mommy anymore, she'd still be with you in your heart?"  
  
Ben nodded and leaned into Jennifer, tucking his head beneath her chin. "Well, the same thing happened to your Daddy. He's gone to heaven too, to take care of your Mommy."  
  
"Who's going to take care of me?" he cried.  
  
"We are, Ben." Tim said from the window. Jennifer looked up at him surprised. He crossed and knelt beside them. He took Ben's hand and said gently, "You're going to live with me and Jennifer from now on, if that's okay with you."  
  
Ben nodded and fell into Tim's arms. Tim picked them both up and sat down on the bed next to Jennifer. He kissed the top of Ben's head as the little boy cried quietly, and looked at Jennifer. She nodded at him through her tears, and he took her hand, squeezing it gently.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
They sat that way for what seemed like hours, Tim gently rocking a sobbing Ben. When his tears finally wore him out, Ben drifted off into a peaceful sleep. He laid Ben in the center of the bed, and curled up next to him. Jennifer lay down on the other side, her face turned toward Tim's.  
  
"Did you mean that?" she whispered.  
  
"Yeah," he said, absent-mindedly stroking Ben's hair. "I want him."  
  
"Okay." Jennifer had made up her mind about Ben the minute Tim had told her the news. She just wanted to make sure Tim was as sure as she was. "It's a lot to take on."  
  
Tim closed his eyes and sighed, "We can do it. If we can make it through this, Jen, we make it."  
  
Jennifer shut her eyes also and was just drifting into sleep when she heard Tim say, "We'll need a bigger house."  
  
Her eyes fluttered open and she looked over at Tim, whose eyes were closed, his breathing regular. She realized be must be dreaming, talking in his sleep, making a mental to-do list.  
  
"I'm not getting rid of Duke, though," he mumbled as he rolled over toward the wall. Jennifer stifled a laugh and smiled, knowing hell would literally have to freeze over before Tim sold his beloved motorcycle.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
"Oh, Tim, I'm so sorry," Calleigh said breathlessly into the phone as she pressed a palm to her forehead.  
  
"Thanks, Cal. I've already called Horatio, told him that Jen and I are taking some time off to be with Ben." Tim shoved his free hand into his pocket as he paced the living room. "I just wanted you and Eric to hear it from me."  
  
"God, Tim, thinking of us when you're in the middle of a nightmare. Does Jennifer know how lucky she is?"  
  
"I think she does," he said as he glanced at the couch where Jennifer sat with Ben reading a book. "That reminds me, I forgot to tell you something. I proposed to Jennifer last night and she said yes."  
  
"Well, I'll be." Calleigh drawled. "At least something good has come out of this."  
  
"I gotta go, I'll call you later, okay?"  
  
"Okay, tell Jen that I love her, and Tim, anything you guys need, you just call me."  
  
"Thanks, Cal."  
  
Tim disconnected with Calleigh and dialed Eric's number, going through the conversation again with his best friend. When the two men said their goodbyes, Tim placed the phone back in the cradle and plopped down on the couch next to Ben and Jennifer.  
  
"Calleigh sends her love, Eric says anything we need to call, and Horatio says take all the time we need," he said, relaying the important details.  
  
Jennifer offered him a tired smile, "We've got good friends, babe."  
  
"You know it," he said, stretching his arm behind Ben to rub Jennifer's neck.  
  
TBC... 


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer - I don't own any of these characters, including Tim Speedle, but hey a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
Pairings - Since I personally can't picture Speed with any of the women on the show, I had to create one just for him.  
  
Rating - PG-13, for earlier chapters.  
  
Summary - Sometimes, what starts out as a simple day can change your life dramatically.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
"Mommy Jen?"  
  
Jennifer's eyes popped open and she struggled to focus her eyes in the dark. Ben was standing next to the bed, his pillow and blanket in hand.  
  
"What's wrong, baby?" she said sleepily.  
  
"I can't sleep." Jennifer and Tim had been hearing those words a lot lately, ever since the Major died several weeks before. The doctor had told them it was probably nightmares, and when Ben got a little older, they should subside. In the meantime, Ben was sleeping with them nearly every night.  
  
"Okay, baby, climb in." She lifted Ben into bed with them, gently placing him between her and Tim. Tim groaned in his sleep as Ben accidentally kicked him while struggling to get comfortable.  
  
Jennifer was wide-awake now, and stroked Ben's hair until she could hear his breathing become regular. So much had changed in such a little amount of time. Five weeks ago, Jennifer and Tim were just a couple, without a care in the world. Now, they were parents shopping for a new house, preparing for a wedding and an adoption. They'd settled Ben into a daycare two weeks ago, and though his teachers assured Jennifer that once she was gone he was fine; he still cried and cried when she dropped him off at school.  
  
Friday afternoons were his favorite part of the week, because he knew he'd have his new parents all to himself for the weekend. And on Sunday night, he'd start to cry, dreading the knowledge that he'd be separated from them the next morning, if only for a few hours.  
  
Now, there was no overtime worked, for either of them. Neither Tim nor Jennifer felt like they were giving their jobs 110%, their minds were constantly focused on Ben and they were both exhausted. Horatio and Frank reassured them both that all new parents went through this, and that their job performances were still above par. But, most new parents aren't dealing with a grieving four-year-old either, she thought to herself as she looked down at Ben.  
  
She cried herself back to sleep that night, curled up next to her new son.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
"Ben!" Jennifer shouted from the kitchen in the general direction of her son's room. "Mimi's here!"  
  
"Mimi!!!" The little blonde came tearing out of his room, dodged a pile of boxes, and jumped into Julie Hagen's arms.  
  
"Bennie!" she said affectionately, lifting him up to give him a kiss. "You ready to spend the day with Mimi?"  
  
"Yeah!!" he said brightly. "Where are we going?"  
  
"Well," she said settling onto the couch with him, "First I thought we'd swing by the zoo and see what those crazy monkeys are up to, then I thought we'd get some lunch."  
  
"Pizza." Ben interjected.  
  
"Pizza, it is. Then I thought maybe we'd go to the playground and let you run out some of your energy and then, we'll take you to your new house."  
  
Jennifer was still in the kitchen, packing the remainder of the dishes and silverware. She laughed as she listened to their conversation. Julie Hagen was the only other person in the world Ben felt totally comfortable with. Jennifer thought maybe it was because she and her mother looked so much alike. Or maybe it was because Ben had never had a grandmother before. Either way, Jennifer was happy with the help her mother gave.  
  
"Hey, Julie," Tim said, entering the apartment from downstairs, where he'd been loading boxes into the moving van.  
  
"Hi, Tim. Hello, John," she said sternly to her son, who had walked in right behind Tim without a word.  
  
"Hello, Mother." John said sarcastically, leaning down to kiss his mother, causing Jennifer to laugh.  
  
John grabbed Ben and threw him up into the air, causing Ben to erupt in peals of laughter.  
  
"John, stop. He just ate, you're going to make him throw up." Jennifer warned, but John didn't listen, and continued tossing Ben around.  
  
Julie stood and picked up her purse. "Well, we'd better be going, Ben, if we're going to go see the monkeys."  
  
John caught Ben and held him tight. "Want me to fly you out to the car?"  
  
"Yeah!" Ben said happily. "Bye Mommy."  
  
"Kiss," Jennifer reminded him and John flew Ben over to kiss her. "I love you," she said sweetly.  
  
"I love you, too. Bye, Daddy," he said to Tim as John began flying him out of the apartment.  
  
"Bye, Sport. Be good for Mimi."  
  
Julie strolled over to where Jennifer stood at the counter. "If all goes well, why don't we see if Ben wants to spend the night with me?"  
  
Jennifer looked at her mother like Julie had just presented her with a million dollars. "That would be incredible, Mom."  
  
Julie leaned over and gave Jennifer a quick kiss on the cheek. "You and Tim need some time for yourselves."  
  
Jennifer gave her an appreciative smile and Julie added, "Besides, this is what Mimi's do, which you'd already know if you or John had bothered to give me a grandchild before now."  
  
Julie turned on her heels, just in time to see Jennifer roll her eyes. With a quick, "I saw that, young lady," she was gone, leaving Tim and Jennifer alone in the apartment for the first time in months.  
  
"I know you," Tim said sarcastically, crossing the living room to step into the kitchen.  
  
"You look vaguely familiar, too," she teased back.  
  
He grinned and pinned her up against the refrigerator, closing the space between them and leaning in to kiss her. The feel of Tim's lips on hers ignited a passion they'd been too tired to feel in a long time. Her arms snaked up around his neck and he pressed her into the refrigerator, groaning as her fingers found their way into his hair.  
  
"For the love of God!" John exclaimed from the doorway. "You're getting married in three weeks, can't you two control yourselves until then?"  
  
"Jealous much?" Jennifer teased as Tim pulled away from her reluctantly.  
  
John shot her a nasty look - she'd struck a nerve. "We've got an entire apartment to move, and you two playing tonsil hockey isn't going to get that accomplished any faster."  
  
"Faster?" Calleigh called from the doorway, hands planted firmly on her hips. "It doesn't look like you guys have done anything!"  
  
"Good thing we're here to help," Eric said playfully, picking Calleigh up at the waist and depositing her just inside the doorway so that he and Horatio could pass through.  
  
Calleigh sauntered over to the kitchen counter and picked up a glass, wrapping it in paper and depositing into the box. "What did we interrupt?"  
  
"Nothing," Jennifer said, elbowing Calleigh's arm. Calleigh elbowed her right back. Both looked back into the living room, where the guys were lifting the sofa. Jennifer watched Calleigh watching Horatio. It was a good thing the guys were pre-occupied, because Cal's admiration of Horatio was plastered all over her face.  
  
Jennifer nodded toward Horatio and asked quietly, "How's that going?"  
  
Calleigh blushed and lowered her head to hide the smile widening across her face. "Fine."  
  
"Well, I can see that," Jennifer said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Shut up." Calleigh replied, elbowing Jennifer again.  
  
The women loaded several more glasses into the box before Jennifer spoke. "Ben may spend the night with my mother tonight."  
  
"Thank God," Calleigh drawled. "Speed's been way too serious lately. Frankly, you both need to get laid."  
  
"Calleigh!"  
  
"Oh please, we're all adults here."  
  
"Well, what about you, smarty, have you been getting laid recently?"  
  
Another hot blush spread across Calleigh's face, and she ducked her head again. "Maybe I have, maybe I haven't," she replied mysteriously.  
  
"Oooh, do tell!" Jennifer set the glass she been wrapping down and planted her elbows on the counter.  
  
"I don't kiss and tell, Jen."  
  
"Please, that's a man's line." Jennifer gave her a dismissive wave. "We women always kiss and tell."  
  
"God, this is so weird. I dated your brother."  
  
"Calleigh, you are my best friend, and nothing will ever change that." Jennifer laid an encouraging hand on Calleigh's arm. "Now, spill it."  
  
Their conversation was interrupted by the guys coming into the apartment again, this time heading over the entertainment center. Minutes later, they were out the door.  
  
"Okay, they're gone." Jennifer said, checking to make sure the guys were out of earshot.  
  
"He is amazing, Jennifer. Amazing in ^every^ sense of the word, if you get what I mean."  
  
"Mmm," she said, closing her eyes and nodding, "Pausing for mental image, here."  
  
Calleigh punched Jennifer's arm playfully. "Stop making a mental image of my man, Jen. You've got your own."  
  
"Yeah, but I haven't seen ^him^ naked in weeks," she said glumly.  
  
Calleigh paused and placed her hand on Jennifer's arm. "Honey, are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm, uh, fine."  
  
"That's not very convincing."  
  
"Don't get me wrong, Cal, I love Tim and I love Ben, but the past couple of months have been."  
  
Calleigh cut her off. "They've been hell, Jennifer, and that's totally normal." She reached her hand up to wipe the tears spilling from Jennifer's eyes. "Honey, it's going to be okay, I promise," she said gently, pulling her best friend into her arms.  
  
"Jen?" Tim asked curiously from behind them. "Baby, you okay?"  
  
"She's fine, Tim." Calleigh answered as Jennifer turned her back to him to wipe her remaining tears. "She just now realized she's going to be stuck with you for the rest of her life." Calleigh flashed Tim a bright grin, her green eyes dancing to the words.  
  
"Funny," Tim said, breezing past Calleigh. "I'm going to ask one more time, then I'll leave you alone," he said, lifting Jennifer's face to his, "are you okay?"  
  
Jennifer touched her hand to his cheek and leaned in to kiss him. "I'm fine, Tim, really I am."  
  
"Okay," he said, not quite believing her, but not knowing what else to say.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Hours later, Tim and Jennifer plopped down on the sofa in their new home, a three bedroom, two bath house situated in one of Miami's newer subdivisions. Plenty of children roamed the streets, and the couple hoped Ben would make friends in his new neighborhood.  
  
Tim surveyed the boxes that remained, scattered throughout the house. He stretched his legs out and rested his feet on the coffee table. "I know we should keep unloading boxes while Ben's not here, but I'm too damn tired to do anything else."  
  
"I can't believe he's staying with Mom tonight."  
  
"Good practice for the honeymoon."  
  
"Yep."  
  
Tim sat quietly for a moment before leaning toward Jennifer. "Speaking of practicing for the honeymoon," he said as a huge grin spread across her face. "I thought maybe we could use a little practice, too."  
  
"I thought you were too damn tired," she said sweetly, climbing on his lap and straddling him.  
  
"I'm never too tired for that," he replied, running his hands up and down the inside of her thighs, his fingers lightly brushing between her legs. She reached her hands between them and tugged at the edge of his t-shirt, pulling it off and tossing it to the side. Jennifer spread her fingers out across his toned chest and gently kissed his neck.  
  
Tim reached beneath her t-shirt and undid the clasp of her bra, ridding of her both at once. Pulling her close to him, he captured her lips again, as Jennifer moaned with pleasure. She whispered breathlessly in his ear, "Bedroom, now."  
  
"Uh-huh," he said shaking his head. "We have a four-year old. This may be the last time we get to make love in this living room for a very long time." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
"I am so tired!" Calleigh exclaimed, plopping down on Horatio's couch. "Who knew they had that much stuff?"  
  
"They need to have a garage sale," Horatio chimed in, "now that they have a garage."  
  
Calleigh rolled her eyes. "Maybe they'll repay the favor someday."  
  
The comment caught Horatio off guard and he looked at Calleigh quizzically.  
  
She blushed and said, "I mean, maybe one of us will move one day, that's all. I wasn't thinking anything about,"  
  
Horatio lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingers. "Miss Dusquene, you may think anything you like."  
  
She grinned. "Does that mean you think about it?"  
  
Horatio stretched out on the sofa and placed his arm behind Calleigh's head. "Yeah, I think about it sometimes. I haven't bought you a ring or anything."  
  
She playfully punched him on the shoulder and he added, "Yet. One thing at a time, my darling."  
  
"Yet. I like the sound of that, Mr. Caine," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
"First, I think we ought to fess up about our relationship."  
  
Calleigh smiled brilliantly at him. "You do?"  
  
Horatio nodded, " I do, because I have every intention of dancing the night away with you at this wedding, and that might seem a little odd if everyone didn't know."  
  
"Horatio Caine, romantic at heart," Calleigh pressed a hand to her heart for emphasis.  
  
He laughed. "Let me tell my supervisors first. Then we'll tell the team."  
  
"Sounds like a plan, my man," she said, hopping on to Horatio's lap and leaning in to kiss him.  
  
TBC. 


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer - I don't own any of these characters, including Tim Speedle, but hey a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
Pairings - Since I personally can't picture Speed with any of the women on the show, I had to create one just for him.  
  
Rating - PG-13, for earlier chapters.  
  
Summary - Sometimes, what starts out as a simple day can change your life dramatically.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Tim stood at the end of a long aisle with Ben's hand in his. Jennifer was approaching them, her arm locked in John's. She wore a simple ivory sleeveless dress she'd found on sale at a bridal store. It was originally supposed to be a bridesmaid's dress, but paired with an ivory veil, no one would ever know it wasn't a designer bridal dress.  
  
John placed Jennifer's hand in Tim's and turned to give his sister a kiss. There was no animosity between the siblings today; the anger and hostility that plagued them for years suddenly seemed unimportant when Ben came into their lives. John touched his forehead to Jennifer's and whispered in her ear, "I love you."  
  
Tim, Jennifer and Ben stepped up to the priest standing before them. With Calleigh on their left and Eric on their right, Tim and Jennifer declared their love for one another and for Ben. Tim slid a plain white gold band on Jennifer's finger and she did the same for him. They both placed a small gold band on Ben's finger, declaring their intention to be a family.  
  
Three candles were lit on the altar before them. One for Jennifer's father Michael, one each for Ben's mother and father, bittersweet reminders of what had brought them all here today.  
  
As they were declared husband and wife, Tim lifted Jennifer's veil and gently wiped the tears streaming down her face with the pad of his thumb. He leaned in and kissed his wife before they both broke into grins when the crowd erupted with applause.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Calleigh hummed softly with the music as Horatio leaned down to her ear. "You know, it's not fair for you to be as beautiful as the bride."  
  
She pulled away slightly and looked him in the eye. "No one is more beautiful than a bride on her wedding day, Horatio."  
  
"Well, I guess you'll just have to prove that one day, won't you?" he asked quietly, kissing her on the tip of the nose.  
  
Calleigh's eyes danced as she looked up at him. "I can't wait, Horatio."  
  
He tightened his grip on her waist and moved them in time to the music. When he'd told his supervisors weeks ago about his relationship with Calleigh, he was stunned to find that none of them were surprised. When Horatio had pleaded with the chief that he'd done nothing wrong on the job, the older man had only laughed. "All I meant, Lieutenant, is that was no denying the chemistry you two have always had."  
  
Horatio had been on cloud nine that day, happily telling his staff, one by one. Speed jumped up and congratulated him, silently cursing Jennifer for not telling him. Eric had mumbled, "it's about time," and Alexx had simply smiled.  
  
She was smiling at Horatio again today as she watched him dance with Calleigh. Speed approached her from behind, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Beautiful sight, huh?" he asked, nodding in the direction of the two lovebirds and leading Alexx onto the dance floor.  
  
"Almost as beautiful as that sight," she replied, turning Speed around to see Jennifer dancing with Ben.  
  
Tim grinned and Alexx continued. "You and Jennifer deserve every happiness life brings you, Tim. I'm just so glad I get to be here for the ride."  
  
Speed kissed her on the cheek. "We love you, Alexx."  
  
"I know that, darlin'." She swatted him playfully on the arm. "And what are you doing, dancing with me? Go dance with your wife!"  
  
Speed laughed and motioned for Eric to come take over for him. He strolled over to where Jennifer was quietly dancing with Ben and asked, "Room for me?"  
  
"Nope," Jennifer said playfully. "I'm not going to see my son for an entire week after tonight. I'm dancing with my other man right now."  
  
Ben looked up at Tim, "De-nied, Daddy," he said sweetly, stretching out the first syllable for emphasis.  
  
"Don't make me regret letting you spend time with Eric, son," he said as the youngster collapsed into peals of laughter. "Fine," he said reaching over to kiss Jennifer on the cheek and rumple Ben's hair. "If you're going to dance with your mother, I'm going to dance with mine."  
  
Tim crossed the room and slumped down in a chair next to his mother. "My son won't let me dance with my wife," he pouted as his mother laughed.  
  
"Welcome to parenthood," his father said, leaning over his son's shoulder to hand him a beer. "You look like you needed one of these."  
  
"Thanks, Dad." Tim said, gratefully taking the beer.  
  
"You and Jen, you're going to be great parents, Tim," his mother said, patting his knee. "I'm very proud of both of you. Taking responsibility for Benjamin the way you did. You're a wonderful man, son."  
  
Tim leaned over and kissed his mother's cheek. "And you are a wonderful mother," he said, setting his beer down on the table and offering his hand, "who needs to be danced with."  
  
Tim was overcome with emotion as he led his mother onto the dance floor. He looked around and for the first time in his life, saw nothing but love. Everyone he loved in this world was under this roof tonight.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Tim's parents and brother had come in from New York for the wedding and had agreed to stay for Ben's adoption proceedings, which would occur two weeks later. The entire family stood in front of the judge - Tim, Jennifer and Ben in the center, Julie and John Hagen next to Jennifer and Don, Carolyn and Zach Speedle next to Tim - as he proclaimed Benjamin David Korte Speedle their new son.  
  
"That's me," Ben said, poking himself in the chest with a finger.  
  
"Yes it is," the judge agreed as he smiled down at the new family. He turned his attention to Tim and Jennifer.  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. Speedle, you have declared guardians for your son?"  
  
Tim answered, "Yes, your honor, we have."  
  
"And who might that be?"  
  
"Julie Hagen, Ben's grandmother. If for whatever reason she can't take him, Horatio Caine and Calleigh Dusquene."  
  
"They're not married, Mr. Speedle?"  
  
Tim grinned and glanced back to where his boss and friend sat in the courtroom. "Not yet, anyway."  
  
The judge returned Tim's grin and said, "I see. Well, I think we're all done, here. Tim, Jennifer, Ben, I wish all of you a lifetime of happiness." He rapped his gavel, "This court is adjourned."  
  
My work here is done. The End. 


	11. Epilouge

Disclaimer - I don't own any of these characters, including Tim Speedle, but hey a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
Pairings - Since I personally can't picture Speed with any of the women on the show, I had to create one just for him.  
  
Rating - PG for now, there's a little boy involved.  
  
Summary - I just couldn't leave it like that.  
  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Five years in the future..  
  
Tim Speedle eased his wife's SUV into a spot near the hospital entrance and cut the ignition. He turned to a young blonde headed boy sitting next to him and smiled. "You ready for this, sport?"  
  
"Yeah, Dad. Let's do it." The boy leaned over and gave his father a high five.  
  
Tim laughed as he opened the driver side door and got out of the vehicle. He set the alarm and crossed to where his son was standing at the back bumper of the vehicle. He ruffled the boy's hair as they walked toward the hospital entrance, pausing to let the automatic doors slide open.  
  
They took the elevator to the fourth floor. Tim could feel his son's nerves growing as they neared the nurse's station. "Hi, Tim," the nurse said, leaning over the desk to get a look at the young man standing next to Tim, "this must be Ben." He blushed, grinning from ear to ear and nodding. "Go right in, guys." She pushed a button on her desk and a security door popped open. Tim grabbed it and held it open for his son. "This way," he pointed down the hall. "Room 410."  
  
"Momma?" the young boy said as he pushed the door open, "can I come in?" he asked quietly.  
  
Jennifer was sitting in the hospital bed with her arm propped up, caressing a nursing infant. She smiled brightly as they entered. "You better," she said sweetly. "Get over here and meet your sister."  
  
The blonde paused for a moment to kiss Jennifer on the cheek before climbing in the bed with them. He leaned over and kissed the tiny baby. "Hi, Becca. I'm your big brother Ben."  
  
Rebecca Maria Speedle sensed her brother's presence and turned her little face toward him. He reached down and touched her hand. Becca wrapped her entire fist around Ben's little finger. "She's so little," he said with amazement.  
  
"For now, one of these days, she'll be beating you up."  
  
Ben rolled his eyes at the suggestion "I'm nine years older, Mom. I'll always be bigger than her."  
  
"Yeah, like size has stopped me beating up on Uncle John."  
  
"Well, that's different," he said with a grin, "Uncle John always deserves it."  
  
"Excellent point, son," she said, running a hand through his hair, "How was school today?"  
  
Ben curled up next to his mother's shoulder and laid his head on the pillow next to her. "Fine, I got an A on my science test."  
  
Jennifer kissed the top of his head. Tim said proudly, "That's my boy."  
  
"Maria?" Ben said curiously, picking up Rebecca's birth certificate, which was lying on the table next to Jennifer's bed. "Is that for my mother?"  
  
"Sure is. Without Maria, we wouldn't have you, and without you, who knows if we would have had Rebecca."  
  
"That's cool."  
  
"Thought you might like that."  
  
Tim looked up from the recliner at his family, and realized that he should be having warm and fuzzy thoughts about his wife, his son and his new daughter. But all he could think about was food. Jennifer had gone into labor at eleven o'clock last night. After getting Ben up, they'd dropped him off at Calleigh and Horatio's and headed for the hospital. Now seventeen hours later, Tim realized he hadn't eaten since yesterday at dinner.  
  
"Can you eat, Jen?" he said more brusquely than he'd intended, but he continued, "Cause I've been trying to do the supportive husband thing and not eat until you could, but I just realized I'm starving."  
  
Jennifer began laughing and looked at Tim coyly, "I ate while you were gone picking Ben up from school."  
  
"Nice," he said sarcastically. "That's nice." He rose from the recliner and started toward the door.  
  
Ben joined his mother's laughter and said, "He wouldn't even stop and get me anything."  
  
Jennifer looked lovingly at her husband and said quietly, "That's because Dad is a wonderful guy."  
  
"Yes I am," Tim said defensively, crossing to kiss his wife gently.  
  
"And because he feels guilty that I had to do all the work." Jennifer turned and made a face at Ben, who burst out laughing again.  
  
"Funny. You two are hilarious," he said as mother and son collapsed with laughter, disturbing Becca, who'd just drifted off to sleep. "I'm going to the cafeteria to pray that maybe at least my daughter will be on my side."  
  
Tim shut the door to Jennifer's hospital room and leaned against it for moment, remembering the day that had started it all - a simple morning in a Laundromat that had changed their lives forever. He touched his right hand to his heart and looked to heaven. "Thank you," he said under his breath; then started down the hall to the cafeteria. 


End file.
